Heir to an Empire
by greysider
Summary: The fate of the galaxy is thrown into question when the Sith Lord Darth Vader finds his son Luke Skywalker on Tatooine before the events of A New Hope. Caught in a game of power between two Sith Lords, will the young force wielder be able to forge his own path? As the galaxy descends into chaos and loyalties are tested, will he be able to rise and seize his destiny?
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. All other concepts and ideas from other books or stories belong to their respective authors. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

 **Story Premise:**

 **The fate of the galaxy is thrown into question when the Sith Lord Darth Vader finds his son Luke Skywalker on Tatooine before the events of A New Hope. Caught in a game of power between two Sith Lords, will the young force wielder be able to forge his own path? As the galaxy descends into chaos and loyalties are tested, will he be able to unite the galaxy to prevent the coming apocalypse?**

* * *

 **Morning**

 **10th Day of the Second Month; 11 BBY**

 **Beggar's Canyon; Near Mos Eisley**

 **Tatooine; Arkanis Sector**

A young boy, he couldn't have been older than seven or eight, backed up against the rocks, a blaster pointed straight at his face. The man holding the gun, for he didn't know what else to call him, had a cruel smile plastered on his face as he looked down at him.

Behind him, a small group of other men, maybe four or five, were spread out around the small hovercraft, all holding blasters of different sizes on them. The hovercraft itself was emitting a slow buzzing noise due to the battery usage, but he couldn't care about that at the moment.

Trying to step back without turning, he tripped on a small incline, falling on his back as he groaned in pain. The man in front of him laughed, pushing the blaster in front of his face again and smirking at his misfortune.

Closing his eyes as his body shook uncontrollably in fear, the boy wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation.

Of course, it has all started with the Great Drought. His uncle Owen said it was the greatest drought Tatooine has faced in all of his years living on the planet. As a young kid, he couldn't really comprehend the full consequences of a drought, but he knew it was bad enough.

Apparently, the water springs and the wells concentrated around Mos Espa, the capital, has gone dry, precipitating a crisis that soon spread across the entire planet. Water had always been a scarcity, owing both to the minimal population growth and the presence of tens of thousands of moisture farms, such as the one his aunt and uncle owned.

From what he could understand from Owen, the Hutt families, the big slimy monsters that controlled the planet, had imposed a 'water tax' of sorts. Jabba the Hutt, the most powerful of the Hutt lords on Tatooine, had actually been scared by the drought and sought to secure whatever there was of the planet's water supply to maintain power. A sign posted in Mos Eisley had warned that the Hutt enforcers would be coming around to collect the tax. He hadn't understood really what that meant until they came for his family.

It was a group of half a dozen men, dressed in what Aunt Beru would call "bounty hunter garb", had arrived in Anchorhead earlier that day. Only one of them were human, and there was a mixture of other aliens amongst them. They carried blasters and other weapons, such as grenades and even more outdated tech. Nevertheless, they held more force together than the four hundred that lived in the same country as them.

The armed men, flying in on an older hovercraft, had proceeded to visit each of the households, mostly moisture farms, and demanded that they 'pay up'. The farmers, unable to do anything but comply with their demands, stocked the hovercraft with dozens of buckets and cantines of water.

He had been out of the house that day. He had seen the families cry as they gave up perhaps the precious water that might be the only reserves they would have that year. He had seen one family, the Evans, try to resist. Toris, that was the father's name, had wielded some sort of ancient pistol against the group of tax enforcers. He had taken one of them down in the back before five blaster bolts had slammed into his chest and he was thrown back onto the ground, dead, a sizzling hole decorating his chest. The Evans family was promptly exterminated to the last member.

As a boy, he had always been used to death, crime, and disappearances around Mos Eisley. It was Tatooine, after all. Yet he had never experienced, or perhaps he had just never realized, the utter depravity of these thugs. They moved from house to house, extorting each and every one of their neighbors.

Finally, they had arrived at the Lar's farm. Owen and Beru, having watched the result of the Evans, already had the water cantines ready for them. The entire process had lasted less than two minutes. His uncle had gone out and helped the enforcers load up the water supplies, and then bid them a good day.

The boy figured his uncle had practice enough in these affairs, knowing what Tatooine was like. Owen had learned, he assumed, over time, to cave in and comply instead of facing the risks.

He thought, had no such inhibitions. He had sat there, at the counter of their table, watching as the men had barged into their house and carried away their storage of water. He had sat there, enraged, anger bubbling under his skin. Something felt like it had been building inside of him, urging him to stand up and defend himself. He had wanted to jump up and fight right then and there, in whatever way he could, but Aunt Beru had kept a strong hand on his shoulder.

That night though, he had waited patiently for his aunt and uncle to fall asleep. When he was sure that they would not wake up, he had gotten out of his bed and made his way through the house. He had tampered with the controls for the door, knowing how they worked after years of trying to avoid them. Quietly, he had left the house, determined to track down the criminals who had dared to steal from his family.

He didn't know how he did it, but he followed behind them. He felt as a thought something was leading him towards them, even if he had no idea where they were. Somehow, he intuitively knew in which direction to go.

He had caught up with them in the early morning in the Beggar's Canyon as they made their way back to Jabba's palace, intent on making them pay for their crimes. What a fool he was.

Instead, the enforcers had trapped him in a corner of the canyon and surrounded him on all sides, preventing an escape.

Here he was, a blaster pressed against his forehead, tears falling down his face as he cried in fear.

For the first time in his life, Luke Skywalker was sure he was going to die. He had been involved in fights before; he had seen violence before; heck, he had even been threatened by criminals before; but never before had he feared for his life. Now he did.

In another universe, an old wizened master who lived in the canyon would have come to his aid, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, the boy was all alone, trapped with no way out.

The man in front of him chuckled loudly, bending down and whispering to him: "Just know, boy, that you've sentenced your family to death."

With those words, Luke's eyes burst open, his chin shaking with uncontrollable anger. Unnoticed to him or to the gangster scum in front of him, his eyes flashed yellow, his fists tightening as he felt that power rise up within him again.

"We'll go back there tomorrow, you know," he continued, "And we'll kill all of them. Everyone you ever knew."

Luke looked up at him, his words fueling his body with righteous anger.

The man laughed again. "I think we'll have some fun, won't we boys?"

The others laughed along with him, ignoring how the boy was no longer crying. Instead, he had collected himself against the rocks, his muscles shaking as the same unknown force surged through his veins.

"Maybe we'll have your bitch aunt each her old man's heart . . ."

And with that, the dam burst.

With a cry of anger and rage, the power within him burst and exploded from his hands like a flood.

He saw a literal wave of darkness crash into the scum, throwing them against the other side of the canyon and ripping their bodies apart.

Heads, arms, legs, pieces of flesh and bone flew from their bodies as the unstoppable wave slammed against them.

In a moment, all was silent. The remains of the enforcers' bodies were scattered through the sand, the hovercraft separated into a thousand pieces.

All that was left was the cool wind that blew against his clothes and through the sand.

Luke caught his breath as his body stopped spasming, allowing him to truly look at the scene before him.

Propping himself up against the rocks to stand straight, his lips curved into a smile.

* * *

 **Lord Vader's Meditation Chamber; Imperator-Class Star Destroyer Exactor**

 **Hyperspace; Taanab Sector**

The spacious room was silent, not a sound to be heard. The thick durasteel walls and edges around the room gave it a feeling of isolation and loneliness. It was imposing, constricting, and yet peaceful all the same time.

In the center of the large floor space lay a massive chamber, lights flickering on and off on its edge. It was an enclosed space, a box within a box if you will.

The chamber was some three meters in diameter, flattened on the bottom and rounded on the top. It had neither a hatch or an outer control panel. For all intents and purposes, it was sealed from the inside. The only visible opening were the two horizontal lines which showed the chamber was able to split into two parts.

Inside a man sat quietly on the built-in chair, calmly breathing in the pressurized oxygen flowing through the chamber. His head, covered in pale and red skin, had deep scars running on both his cheeks and over his face.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open, bright blue pupils shining with pure and infinite power.


	2. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1 - A New Course**

* * *

 **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. All other concepts and ideas from other books or stories belong to their respective authors. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

 **Story Premise:**

 **The fate of the galaxy is thrown into question when the Sith Lord Darth Vader finds his son Luke Skywalker on Tatooine before the events of A New Hope. Caught in a game of power between two Sith Lords, will the young force wielder be able to forge his own path? As the galaxy descends into chaos and loyalties are tested, will he be able to rise and seize his destiny?**

* * *

 **Chapter Summary:**

 **We explore the life of Captain Xamuel Lennox and the dynamic onboard the** _ **Exactor**_ **. Hints of Legends content are introduced.**

* * *

 **Last Chapter:**

 _Inside a man sat quietly on the built-in chair, calmly breathing in the pressurized oxygen flowing through the chamber. His head, covered in pale and red skin, had deep scars running on both his cheeks and over his face._

 _Suddenly, his eyes shot open, bright blue pupils shining with pure and infinite power._

* * *

 **0900 Hours**

 **10** **th** **Day of the Second Month; 11 BBY**

 **Primary Command Bridge; Imperator-Class Star Destroyer** _ **Exactor**_

 **Hyperspace; Taanab Sector**

Captain Xamuel Lennox believed himself to be the very model of a competent naval officer.

He was a military man. Always was and always had been. His whole adult life had been dedicated to serve the military, all the way back during those days on Ansion. The Mid Rim world hosted one of the most important naval academies in the Galaxy, and most of his adolescent life had been spent preparing himself to take the entrance exams to the academy.

Upon graduation, he had signed up straight away with the Ansonian Defense Forces straight out of university, following in the footsteps of his father and his father before him. His family had been serving in the Defense Forces for centuries, and Xamuel was certainly not going to be the first of the Lennox men to break that tradition.

Proving himself to be an adept tactician and a capable leader, he was given command of his own. He would always remember the ship, the _Endurance_ , a beautiful sleek frigate. It was an old ship and unsuited to any form of armed combat, but it had been his, and for that reason alone it would always be beautiful in his memories.

His first experience at naval warfare had been against pirates. Ansion was a prosperous world, certainly wealthier than most others in the area. As such, it had been a favorite destination for raiders and pirates for millennia. Xamuel had taken part in minor skirmishes, proving his valor more than once against the pesky thugs.

Of course, when the Military Restructuring and Consolidation Act was passed by the Senate at the onset of the Clone Wars, his ship and the rest of Ansion's sparse military units had been assimilated into the Republic Navy. A change in hierarchy also made for a change of ship, and so Lennox found himself a Lieutenant aboard the newly constructed _Centurion,_ an Arquiten-class frigate. It was not much of a step up for him, but it had been given to him right off of the construction line, and he appreciated the opportunity to prove himself again.

He had served with dedication and honor, taking part in the battles of Vicondor, Kamino, and Cato Neimoidia, to mention a few. The _Centurion_ had been destroyed in the early months of 19 BBY, forcing him to take up another command yet again. Nevertheless, he had refused to take a temporary leave of absence, and had returned to the front once more in the Battle over Coruscant. He earned a medal of bravery that day for boarding a Separatist ship and seizing it when his own ship was lost.

Then the Emperor came to power.

Everything had changed that day. He had gone from being a Republic Colonel to an Imperial Colonel, in the new Imperial Navy. He no longer served a Democracy, but an Empire. He no longer followed the orders of a Senate, but an Emperor. Where before his enemy was the traitorous Separatist Confederacy, his new target were rebellious elements throughout the galaxy.

Through all of this, he had stayed loyal to the Navy. He had always placed his heart in the Naval Forces, for that was where his true beliefs would always lay. He would serve the Navy, now and in the future, no matter which government it fought for. Indeed, it was only his immediate pledge of allegiance to the new political order on Coruscant that saved him and many of his colleagues lives during the Great Naval Purge just two weeks after the transition.

He had seen many of his colleagues and friends die that day. Captains, Admirals, and Governors had been all to willing to turn over 'suspect' officers over to the swarm of COMPNOR agents that descended upon the fleet. He had seen men shot in front of him, all in the name of 'imperial purity'.

It had been eight years since then, and a long eight years they had been. Victories and defeats, rises and falls, failures and successes. Through and through, his dedication to the Navy had never waned. It was this that had seen to his promotion last year. He had been named captain, the _Exactor_ being designated as his new command.

Captain Lennox. Yes, he had thought. That had sounded quite good indeed.

He had thought that he might continue his service, away from the intricate games of politics that the Imperial Court and the other institutions played with one another.

Those hopes had been dashed the second Darth Vader had boarded his ship. Well, 'his' ship. It was most certainly Vader's now.

Once part of Crimson Dagger Command operating out of Taris, the _Exactor_ now moved at Vader's command, part of his own little fleet of Imperial ships. Indeed, as Supreme Commander of the Imperial Fleet, Lord Vader technically had jurisdiction over all fleet elements. As such, he could pick ships from here and there and throw them around the galaxy at his whims. Though it created a logistical nightmare for the fleet, the Emperor saw fit to allow Vader this power, and of course nobody within the fleet would ever dare to complain.

He pulled himself from his thoughts to observe the dozens of officers and staff making their way around the bridge, tending to all the duties that needed to be taken care of on a warship of this size.

Grey suited men and women moved back and forth in front of him, monitoring all the systems and checking in with on-board units to ensure perfect functionality. He smiled, admiring the efficiency at which the Imperial ensigns worked. In front of him, the dark expanse of space seemed endless. Right now, the small congregation of ships that Lord Vader has assembled under him was traveling at lightspeed through the Taanab sector, planning to refuel at Onderon before continuing to hunt down a rebel group that was operating around the Veanese Sector.

Suddenly, the blast doors behind him opened and Xamuel heard the sound of heavy boots stomping on the floor. Darth Vader had arrived on the bridge.

He closed his eyes and held his breath, going through the by now well practiced ritual whenever the Sith made an appearance. He took two seconds to clear his mind and quiet himself. He was well trained by now in handling the presence of the dark lord. Trial by fire, the previous captain had once said. More like trial by force choke if Lennox had anything to say about it.

Opening his eyes, his thoughts no clear and his mind blank, he spun on his heels and bowed before the Sith Lord, knowing that taking a second too long to do so might cost him dearly.

"Milord," he spoke as clearly as possible, showing the required respect for Vader.

All officers and ensigns around him followed suit, stopping whatever they were doing. Dozens of grey suited navy men and women stood from their consoles or various desks, nervously waiting Vader's newest commands.

Lennox heard the heavy mechanical breathing of the supreme commander, his heart beating ever so faster than normal. He took another deep breath, comforting himself in the knowledge that he had made no significant tactical errors in the past few days.

"Rise, captain," came the muffled voice above him.

He did so instantly, standing up to stare straight at the pitch black helmet of Darth Vader.

Vader's suit gave him an impressive two meter height, making him taller than most every Imperial in the navy. Even now, Xamuel was looking up at the Sith Lord, trying to stay orderly so as not to show his fear. Such was the life of a captain onboard Vader's ship.

"Captain," he started, the palpable silence in the room making his voice clear and authoritative, "Set course for Tatooine. Bring us there as soon as possible."

Lennox's eyes widened for just a split second.

A second letter his eyes dilated and his face lost any sign of momentary shock that had briefly flared.

"Of course, milord." he said, bowing his head again.

He turned to face the rest of the crew, nodding silently to a few officers in the corner to set the hyperdrive to the appropriate coordinates.

"Will we still be stopping at Onderon to resupply?" he asked Vader, keeping his voice intentionally docile and submissive.

"You will set course for Tatooine immediately, captain, or I will find another officer that can," came the terse reply, bringing along with it the proper dosage of threat.

"Yes, milord," Xamuel was quick to reassure him.

With the officers and staff unfrozen and moving around again to their usual duties, Lord Vader turned around and stomped off the bridge.

The second the blast doors closed behind him, the temperature in the room dropped at last a few degrees. The servicemen returned to order, the heavy intimidating presence of the Sith lord absent once more.

Tatooine, he thought. What in the galaxy could possibly be there that would spark Vader's interest? Lennox knew there were no recent reports of rebel activity in the sector. Or maybe there were, and he just didn't know about it. It was, afterall, entirely possible. Between the ISB, Imperial Intelligence, and the half a dozen other clandestine agencies that worked for the Empire, there was plenty of intelligence that was hidden from the Navy proper.

Tatooine was a desert though. A wasteland. There was nothing of value on the entire planet, at least according to official reports though.

Nevertheless, as the technicians buzzed around adjusting the _Exactor_ 's course, he reminded himself that Vader was in total control here. This ship, and by extension, himself, were but servants to the second-in-command of the Empire.

If Darth Vader said go to Tatooine, the _Exactor_ would go there.

He walked slowly over to a group of grey clad men in the corner of the bridge, his hands clasped together behind his back.

"Lieutenant Needa," he called out, addressing his Chief of Communications.

Lieutenant Lorth Needa was bending over two other agents, typing messages on their holopads at this desks. Upon being called, Needa stood to face the Captain, giving a slight incline of the head.

"Sir?" he spoke.

"Make contact with Onderon tactical logistics and inform them to cancel resupply." Lennox replied, mentally trying to remember what Imperial supply depots could be found in close proximity to Tatooine.

Needa nodded once more, moving over to his own station to handle the job.

Xamuel took another moment to observe the various officers on the bridge, making sure that they were all handling their proper duties. After giving a particularly harsh look to an ensign who turned red and returned to his station, the Captain returned to his command chair.

Sighing as he brushed his right hand over the control panel on the right armrest, he brought up a number of recent reports on his holographic projector to await the arrival of the _Exactor_ at the slave planet.

* * *

 **Lord Vader's Private Offices; Imperator-Class Star Destroyer** _ **Exactor**_

The Dark Lord of the Sith stomped down the hall to his offices. With a wave of his hand, the meter deep reinforced durasteel door slid open in front of him and he walked inside without slowing down. They closed again behind him, ensuring absolute privacy from the rest of the ship.

Indeed, his personal office was able to be accessed by him and him alone. It gave him at least some degree of comfort. In here, he could be away from the spineless officers that infested this ship, jumping from him as soon as they heard the sound of his breathing.

At least the captain had some sense of self. Lennox was a good soldier, Vader knew that. The man pretended not to be utterly terrified of him, which was more than he could say for the rest of them. He hated having to deal with men who would shake in fear of being in his very presence. Men like that were a disease, and he would be glad when the day came that they no longer plagued the fleet.

He remembered a time when he had inspired confidence, not fear. As he strode down the hallways of his ships, the men would give him smiles, nods, and sometimes even congratulate him after a battle. Not anymore. Now, they actively avoided his very presence. Walking down the hallways, officers and servicemen would take the quickest turn in the opposite direction, suddenly engrossed in another issue that needed their immediate attention.

A swirl of anger boiled up inside of him before he crushed it to nothing, striding across the room to take a seat in his large black chair. He sat silently for a minute, his body completely motionless. He extended his mind throughout the ship, getting a read of the personal thoughts of the tens of thousands who inhabited the vessel.

A slight notch in the Force indicated that the _Exactor_ had shifted its course, heading away from Onderon and towards the Outer-Rim instead.

He riffled through the thoughts of a few hundred men onboard, picking them apart, looking for anything interesting that might catch his attention. Corporal Prihaj's wife had just birthed him a son; midshipmen Terrence was in negotiations with a friend of his on another ship to try to acquire some spice; Lieutenant Orius was overseeing an inspection of the food provisions in the lower cargo holds; Cadet Enron had fallen asleep at his firing station, turret M.16.

After failing to find anything of note, he retreated from the landscape of the Force, returning his attention to his own office.

He delved in and out of the Force on a constant basis, no longer needing to consciously tap into it as he once had. It was for this reason that the burst of raw power through the universe just hours earlier had shocked him. It reverberated like an exploding star, and the Force could still feel the lingering remains.

For years, Vader had never felt uncomfortable with the Force. It was his ally, his tool to victory. He was familiar with every aspect of it, knowing instinctively what every small burst and sign meant the second it occurred. This though? He was completely and utterly lost.

He had been taught as a Jedi, all those years ago, that the force worked in mysterious ways. That had never been true for him. He and the force had always been one presence, synced together whenever he willed it. Until today. Something odd had happened, and he desperately needed to know what and why.

Never before had he felt such a powerful force resonate as loudly as it had. He was sure that, considering his master's own proficient use of the Force, he too had felt the signs. He briefly wondered for a second why the Emperor had yet to contact him concerning the disturbing event as he usually would in such occasions.

Ahh, he remembered. His master was currently on a prolonged vacation to the Deep Core, taking in the sights of the mysterious Imperial paradise world of Byss. Vader had never visited the sector before, but he knew that knowledge of it was strictly controlled and only available to the richest and most connected in the Imperial Court. His master retreated to said world on the odd occasion, but Vader had no doubt that he would make contact with his apprentice again the moment he returned to Imperial Center.

For now, Vader would personally investigate the cause of the Force explosion. All he had been able to pinpoint was the epicenter of it on Tatooine. That had perhaps surprised the Sith Lord more than anything. What could be on that desolate planet that could have had such an impact on the living Force?

He had pledged to himself once before never to step foot on his homeworld, but now he had a higher priority: finding and identifying the source of whatever had reverberated through the universe this morning.

He closed his eyes once more, sinking into the Force, trying to find any more traces of the explosion that had shocked him to the core. He could still feel the faint edges of the blast, but to his great disappointment could again not discern anything apart from its location.

Perhaps he was not supposed to know?

Afterall, he knew that the Force worked in mysterious ways. Maybe it wanted him to return to the old world he had grown up on. If so, the Force had gotten its wish, for he was traveling there now.

Knowing the intricate details of galactic maps, Vader knew it would take at least a few days for his small command to travel to the desert planet.

There, Vader hoped, he would find answers.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Hello all! Hope you enjoy this latest update.**

 **This story incorporates a significant amount of Legends characters, planets, and other details, so I would advise you to check these out on wookieepedia if you don't recognize them. Unless I have to, I will never create OCs, because I prefer to use characters already available via Legends.**

 **I really do appreciate constructive criticism of my work. If there are errors, things that don't make sense, convoluted thoughts, please let me know and I will do my best to correct them. My work is never perfect, so please let me know when it's not.**

 **Finally, feel free to ask questions and please favorite, follow, and review. Thanks to all who have done so!**

 **See you next time,**

 **Greysider**


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